How to Score Premium Allocated Bourbons

The bourbon craze that has been sweeping across America for the past two decades is real. Enthusiasts search far and wide for premium bourbons such as Pappy Van Winkle, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, Elijah Craig 21-year, George T. Stagg, Russell’s Reserve, Blanton’s, and a host of others. Although premium brands are pre-allocated to various states, here are some tips on scoring premium allocated bourbons. But first, let’s start with what not to do.

Don’t Blow Your Chance to Score Premium Allocated Bourbons

The best place to begin is discussing the how-tos of scoring premium bourbons. For example, what not to do and say when you enter an upscale retail liquor establishment.

“Hey, do you have any of that allocated stuff? You know, the hard-to-find bourbons that we can’t get anywhere else?”

In case you’re having trouble translating the above sentence, allow me to rephrase:

You’re an idiot if you walk into a retail liquor store and ask for premium allocated bourbons without purchasing $400 or more or without knowing the staff.

Some of you still don’t get it but read on anyway.

Upscale retail spirit merchants across the country hear the question above several times each day. Most of the time, the clerk or merchant will shake their heads and say they couldn’t score a case or even a few bottles of premium bourbons. And most of the time, they’re telling the truth. 

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And then there’s a handful of fortunate retail spirit retailers that might have several bottles of premium allocated bourbons sitting on a storage shelf.

The question you should ask yourself is, “Why should an upscale retail spirit merchant sell me a bottle of his best and hardest-to-find bourbons?

It’s not an issue whether you have the means to purchase more expensive bourbons. Upscale retail wine and spirit merchants want and need to leverage premium products to increase the number of repeat customers and also increase their average purchase.

“In short, whiskey drinkers who build relationships with small, independent liquor stores can obtain an advantage in the chase for rare bottles.” – Justin Vann, Houstonian, November 2020

How to Ask for Premium Bourbons

When retailers receive an allocation of premium bourbons, they’ll typically offer them to their best customers first. You know, the ones that spend a helluva a lot more in their store than you. 

Naturally, businesses should keep track of their best customers and reward them accordingly by offering discounts or access to hard-to-find merchandise. In short, “you scratch my back (by doing business with me), and I’ll scratch yours (through discounts or special access).

Even if you don’t carry the American Express Black Card, there’s still an opportunity to find premium allocated bourbons if you exercise some common sense and courtesy.

“There is a definite lack of finesse with many bourbon hunters,” explained Tyler Parker, the retail beverage manager for Flora-Bama and Skunk Gulley properties in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. They recently opened Cork and Barrel 30, an upscale wine and liquor store in Rosemary Beach, FL.

“Some customers will beeline to your register, empty-handed, and ask to purchase anything rare you have. Then some will quietly browse your bourbon and whiskey section, dismissing any engagement attempted by staff. Either way, these types of customers will typically leave without an allocated premium product.”

It’s All About Supply and Demand

Suppliers, meaning the distilleries, determine how much allocation of premium bourbons each state receives. Wholesalers, those responsible for selling to retail stores and restaurants, then decide which locations receive these unique bourbons. The same holds for wine, too. Thirty-four states operate on what’s known in the industry as a “three-tier system,” meaning the supplier, wholesaler, and retailer (store or restaurant).

True bourbon enthusiasts understand that bourbon-making takes time. When the bourbon rage began around 2005, the demand increased, but with a finite process. Amateur and professional collectors started scooping up any premium bourbon they could find, creating a secondary market with inflated prices. 

Distillers and wholesalers have a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). There’s also an average retail price, followed by the secondary market.

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Let’s use Pappy Van Wrinkle’s 20-year-old bourdon as an example. This sought-after premium bourbon has an MSRP of around $200. If you could find it on the shelf, it would certainly be priced higher. On the secondary market, this 20-year-old jewel goes for approximately $3,500. 

The Best Methods to Secure Premium Allocated Bourbons

Becoming a regular customer of an upscale wine and spirit retailer is the best way to increase your chances of scoring premium allocated bourbons. Develop a relationship with knowledgeable staff and purchase all or most of your wine and spirits from one or two stores.

Per Tyler’s advice, if you’re traveling and aren’t a regular customer of a particular store, only inquire about premium allocated products when you’re spending $200 or more. Understand that I’m not suggesting this tactic works all the time. However, an upscale wine and liquor retailer will be more comfortable discussing premium bourbons if they know you’re willing to shop with them.

“I would urge people to ask about these rare goods as they’re checking out with purchased items,” says Tyler. “Remember, upscale wine and liquor retailers don’t need help selling the allocated stuff. Everyone is looking for premium allocated bourbons. We are most likely to let something go for that customer already making a purchase.”

Quality Bourbons You Can Acquire Today

There are lots of quality bourbons on the market that you can find at most upscale spirit retailers. Some of them include:

• Four Roses Single Barrel
• Yellowstone Select
• Old Forester 1920
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
• Mitcher’s Small Batch Bourbon & Rye
• Horse Soldier Small Batch
• Barrel Seagrass
• Weller’s Special Reserve
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof (116.8 proof)
• Even Williams Bottled-In-Bond